Went to see it just now with the family. Really good film and very close the the book (which i read this week in anticpation). Donald Sutherland plays a really evil sod.
Its like logans run or rollerball but 30 years later!

Ssssh! I’m still reading it.

Got books two and three to read now. For a 12a its quite dark and though the book is ace and gives a lot of the texture, the film dispenses with some of the less credible bits, while still keeping close to the book. I can see why this is tipped as the next big trilogy/series.

Are the similarities to battle royal not enough to put you right off?

I have not seen battle royal, so no. Apparently there is some japanese story thats similar too. but then me dad always said that there are only 7 stories in the world…can’ t remember what they are.

not seen hunger games but really liked battle royale (thats the Japanese filmand comic)
but the plot does sound very similar
so is it the new twiglight ?

Its a lot less soppy than twilight and more gritty. The scenes shot in the districts are filmed very unsaturted colour to add to the bleakness . The Capitol is very bright and garish in colours, like fifth element with the colour gamut gone crazy.
The films budget does not appear to be huge by hollywood standards, so maybe like twighlight the budget will go up as the series moves on.

Are the similarities to battle royal not enough to put you right off?

Exactly this. I’m guessing it’s Battle Royale with less kid-on-kid murder to appease the FCC/delicate Yankee sensibilities.

When i heard that the US was doing a HG film i was a little disapointed as the BR series was great and nevr release ih the US iirc. But I dedcided to read the HG books, just to seen what it was like – i read the 1st two in a week and have just got onto the third (not seen the film yet).

There are basic similarities, but the hunger games concentrates much more on the political and social reasons that the kids are set to fight – where as with 1st BR film, its pretty much just about the killing.

The kids in the HG are also of different ages, 12yrs and up – BR they are all chosen from one school class – HG is much more random.

If you strip them both back there are obvious similarities (random choice of wepons, food etc) but the HG takes it to another level.

Although i’ve not seen the film, based on the book, it shouldnt be a 12A. Wife refused to read it when she found out it was about kids being forced to kill other kids.

May go to see the film tonight….

HG

I’m guessing it’s Battle Royale with less kid-on-kid murder to appease the FCC/delicate Yankee sensibilities.

Didn’t they cut it in the UK to get it down to a 12A? More to do with a wider appeal / audience than sensibilities.

Read all the books and really enjoyed them. May go watch the film on Monday.

My aunt has a part in that film

Not seem it though

Is it as good as the Running Man? Killiaaaaan!!!

Ive not seen or read this, my first thoughts were Running Man. Might download the books.

Just read the first book, as the missus had it.
Defo will be seeing the film.

This book came out in my last year at school, and I remember it causing a bit of a to-do. Some parents kicked up a fuss when they found out what it was all about, and tired to have the school ban it (along with the twilights and HP IIRC). Which obviously made all of us want to read it!!

haven’t read the sequels though

Saw it at the weekend, not read it but my OH has, so could fill in some of the blanks.

I really enjoyed it, though TBH they had me in the trailer when someone in a movie can actually use a bow correctly. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that it could’ve been a lot better. There were bits that weren’t all that cohesive. For example, there’s a big fuss made about how she has to impress the show’s sponsors, but it’s not really clear how she’s benefited from that.

In hindsight, it felt like someone had given a really good film to a really bad director. (I looked him up; it’s only his third film, the other two being Pleasantville and Seabiscuit).

Niggles aside (and I do so tire of hand-held camera footage), like I say, it was an entertaining film. Not wholly sure why it’s getting so much “BEST FILM EVAR” attention, but it was decent enough.

there’s a big fuss made about how she has to impress the show’s sponsors, but it’s not really clear how she’s benefited from that

in the book, the contestants get stuff sent in from the districts, its like a popularity contest

Oh and if you are thinking of seeing movie, then book is a few quid from the super market and days about two days to read..

in the book, the contestants get stuff sent in from the districts, its like a popularity contest

Yeah, the mail pods and her snazzy coat are supposed to be sponsor-provided apparently (like I say, my OH has read it so could explain bits). In the movie though that’s really not clear; the pods appear to be from her mentor, and everyone has nice coats. It would’ve been trivial to show too, start District 11 in their pants or something.

In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t really matter, but that was just one example where they seem to set something up and never do anything with it. Being the first part of a trilogy makes a lot of sense.

Cougar – Member
For example, there’s a big fuss made about how she has to impress the show’s sponsors, but it’s not really clear how she’s benefited from that.

I’ve not read the book and only saw the film last night, but my take was as follows:

* Girl gets injured
* Cut to scene of mentor looking worried
* Cut to scene of mentor smoozing with sponsors
* Parachute arrives with super-healing medicine

I really enjoyed it, although the shaky camera work on an Imax screen did, at times, make it a tad hard to follow all the action.